This invention relates to archery and more particularly to devices useful as arrow rests and arrow launchers used with bows, particularly compound bows, as arrow support and guide devices.
Various archery arrow rests, have been devised for attachment to an archery bow to permit shooting an arrow therefrom with proper clearance of the bow. Arrow rests are typically used in both sport and hunting activities utilizing bows to stabilize the arrow before and during launching from the bow. In general, arrow rests are located on a lateral extension of the mid portion of the bow to facilitate accurate aim. Conventional devices consist of numerous designs for arrow rests. Each includes an arrow launcher, and possesses adjustment arrangements where the arrow launcher may be adjusted for its vertical position and its horizontal position relative to the bow.
Conventional arrow rests are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,006 which provides a pair of spaced elongate supports to support the arrow therebetween. The supports are flexible to allow selected depression of the arrow on the rest by adjustment of the angle of attack of the supports. Another rest configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,854 which teaches an arrow rest with vertical depression which is asserted to improve accuracy by dampening vertical oscillation of the arrow launching off of the arrow rest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,818 teaches an arrangement which is easily laterally adjusted and includes a support member which pivots in response to the arrow vanes passing over it to maintain stability.
In an effort to increase arrow speed and increase the defective target size by flattening out the arrow trajectory, archery arrow manufacturers have began to produce arrows with narrow shaft diameters and high tensile strength. This has been accomplished through the use of resin-impregnated graphite and carbon cloth wound by-directionally around a mandrel and heated to above the set point of the resin to form a hollow arrow shaft which is light in weight, strong and of small diameter. The state of the art shafts are reinforced by very thin-walled hollow, high tensile strength aluminum cores to increase their consistency of spin, weight, and straightness and to prevent their shattering, which can occur with either solid core or hollow unreinforced carbon and graphite arrows. Heretofore, reference to carbon arrows is meant to include both carbon and graphite arrows and composite arrows also including constituents such as fibers, having hollow or solid cores, unreinforced or thin-walled aluminum tubes.
These graphite cloth and carbon cloth arrow shafts have rough and abrasive exterior surfaces due to the weave characteristics and to the inherent physical characteristics of the carbon and/or graphite fibers from which they are composed. Because arrows made from such material are fired at speeds of up to about 350 feet per second, considerable frictional wear of the rest occurs from contact with the exterior of the shaft creating severe wear on the arrow rest and/or launcher used in combination therewith. The shooting accuracy decreases as the rest wears because the point of aim changes. Thus, arrows aimed from a new rest strike the target in a location different from the location of strike on the target when the rest is worn down by friction. Installation of a new rest or launcher requires that the archer go through a tedious test period of shooting to determine the proper point of aim for different distances from the target. Archers are constantly seeking arrow rests and launchers therefor which remain sturdy and reliable and do not require frequent replacement because the tuning procedure is time consuming and tedious.
Since about 1985, 3-D shooting has become a popular sport. The 3-D shooter prefers to shooting at targets which are in the form of life-like and life-sized animals such as are encountered during hunting. Targets are usually made out of self-healing rubberized foam and are shaped and painted with life-like colors to add realism to the sport of target practice. The targets are usually placed at random distances and sometimes under partial cover to simulate hunting situations. In order for the bowhunter to hit the 3-D target, the bow sight must be accurately calibrated for distances by trial and error and remain accurate. However, accuracy may be compromised if the arrow rest or launcher is worn, which is often the situation when using carbon and/or graphite arrows. Wearing of the prong or forked tip of the conventional arrow rest launcher causes a change in the aiming point and soon renders the arrow rest and/or launcher useless.
Moreover, carbon and graphite arrows are very expensive; therefor, it is desirable to use less expensive arrows having shafts of wood or tempered aluminum for practice. The wood or aluminum shafts have larger diameters than those of the previously described carbon and graphite arrows to compensate for the structural strength of the material of construction. Because it is important for shooting accuracy that the arrow be closely cradled by the arrow rest so that it will not wobble in the rest or slip off of the rest before it is shot, a conventional arrow rest launcher used to cradle a small diameter carbon or graphite arrow may not safely support and guide a larger diameter wood or aluminum arrow. Thus a new rest and or launcher must be installed on the bow to use arrows of various diameters.
The present invention provides an arrow rest and a launcher which may used therewith or with other conventional rests which resists wear from carbon and graphite arrows and can also be used to cradle and secure arrows having shafts of various diameters. The rests are composed of a specially formulated high wear, low friction composition which reduces noise in dry and wet conditions. They do not produce arrow shaft wear to any appreciable degree and are small enough to assure that the vanes of the arrow will not strike it during shooting of the arrow. Moreover, the present invention provides a means for quick replacement or adjustment of the launcher to facilitate different arrow shaft sizes.
The present invention provides a means to hold and steady an arrow suspended on an arrow rest and launcher to improve the speed of draw and accuracy of aim as does the arrow rest and launcher assembly of the present invention. Moreover, the launcher of the present invention is composed of a super slippery, friction reducing compound which does not decrease the speed of the arrow, cause drag on the arrow during launch, or affect the accuracy of the arrow projectile. Furthermore, the launchers of the present invention provide a means of damping the noise associated with the arrow touching the launcher.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrow rest for holding and carrying the arrow within the bow at rest.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holding means to steady the arrow before release.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrow rest retaining means which may be used in combination with a variety of arrow rests.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a launcher which is composed of friction reducing material providing optimal arrow speed and accuracy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a launcher composed of a tough resilient, long wearing material which reduces the noise associated with the arrow touching the launcher.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a launcher which may be used in combination with a variety of arrow rests.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an arrow rest having a plurality of different size arrow guide grooves on the same launcher to allow for quick adjustment and change for different types of arrows.